Queen of Your Heart
by SketchyCord
Summary: Welcome to the Kingdom of Newport, where Seth and Ryan are the princes. Marissa and Summer are perfect for them. Too bad they are of inferior birth. Can they overcome the obstacles and prove their worth to the town that scorns them? SS RM, AU -abandoned-
1. Crowns and Princes and Things

**Crowns and Princes and Things**

[This is a very different kind of story. It is AU people! One thing to mention is that, no, the whole story will not be in rhyming format. Just the first chapter. Also worth mentioning is that Jimmy is not in this fic. I do not own the OC, and please review!

Listen close and listen hard, though be warned, these tales are not for the faint of heart. I speak of a land, far far away, where for botox many Newpsies gather to pay. There is a Queen of all the land, and, a King named Sanford who has her hand. Julie Cooper is the resident witch, and Luke Ward often says 'Welcome to the OC, bitch!' There are two princes, heirs to the throne, each ones pluses are to each his own. Noble Ryan, of the piercing blue eyes and fair blond hair, and Honorable Seth, whose charms bewitch many beyond repair. Though many ladies swoon over the men, there are two ladies who stick out in the crowd time and time again. Marissa Cooper, the ethereal beauty, is bound to her witchy mother for eternal duty. Everyday since Marissa was five, to her, Prince Ryan is the only man alive. Summer Roberts, of equal looks, is forced to everyday compile her father's surgical books. Neil, her dad, is the Kingdom's physician, putting Summer far out of marrying position, let alone to Prince Seth.

At the age of 18, the day is near, when the day for marrying shall be here for Princes Seth and Ryan. King Sandy grows pensive, and Queen Kirsten, apprehensive, as none of the ladies can pass the tests, which are intensive. Lady Holly, though extremely pretty, is by no means witty. For Seth this will not do. Prince Ryan looks for a lady of her own right, who will put up with his frequent urge to fist fight. He hasn't found one yet.

Summer and Marissa grow forlorn as the days go by, without even being able to choke out a 'hi,' to the Princes as they miserably pass them by. If only they could be formally introduced, after the formalities had been induced, they could surely win them over. Soon comes the fall, and with it, the solution of a grand ball. In a month and a day, Newport's finest will be gathered (inclusive of anyone who can pay). Sometime before then, will the California weather, torrid as fire, light a flame between Seth and Summer, one of desire? Will Ryan and Marissa fall in love, will the core four be united by some force working above? Not likely in Newport, but who's to deny, that this happily ever after just might happen tonight.


	2. Spells and Potions

**Spells and Potions **

Marissa Cooper sighed airily as she stalked down to her mother's dungeon. She mumbled to herself about the unfairness of having to be a witch's apprentice. She really did not have it in her, and even her mother was aware of this.

"Hello Marissa." Julie smiled as her daughter walked into the dark and dreary dungeon. Julie was working with great concentration on a project she had been sure to keep secret from Marissa. "Why do you look so sad?" Julie inquired of her daughter, narrowing her eyes.

"Um...nothing really. I'm just trying to figure out where to find the proper ingredients for my alchemy test next week," Marissa answered.

"Oh dear, please tell me you are not still dreaming about that prince. Because honestly, he's not worth it." Julie told her daughter as she emptied out a container of vile green liquid into a mixing bowl as she began stirring.

"How would you know about him? How would you know, anything. All you do is mix potions and sneak off in the middle of the night." Marissa retorted.

"It's all for your benefit..." Julie muttered as she pored the green liquid into a bottle, and it immediately turned black.

"What are you talking about?" Marissa demanded. She was really scared of her mother's intentions, but she tried to cover it up with a biting tone. Her mother could smell fear; she lived off of it.

"Everyone knows about the history of the kingdom, dear, you're destined to rule. Just not along side _him._" Julie explained. Marissa looked confused, but then she realized what her mom was talking about. She'd learned about it in history class.

"Mom, everyone knows that that was a sham. Those wars never _really _took place, it's a myth." Marissa replied.

"Why don't you go to Dr. Robert's house and talk to Summer about it? She's a scholar; she can explain." Julie suggested to her daughter as she boxed up her potions.

"Summer, a scholar? More like forced to be her father's assistant in his ridiculous medical escapades." Marissa spat in indignation.

"She'll help you understand Marissa. Go talk to her about it. You can have a break." Julie answered as she walked out of the cold dungeon. Marissa sighed and followed her. Having nothing better to do, she supposed she ought to go. Julie smirked as she watched her daughter go.

"It's all for you...all for you..." Julie murmured as she picked up her box and walked off into the distance.

Marissa hated the fact that she wore black all the time. It was a symbol, so that everyone would know who she was. Her family's past was dark and ridden with murder, lies, and deceit. Marissa was clearly the white sheep in her family of black sheep. With her bright blue eyes and innocent smile, you'd think she was an angel. An angel who, because of her family, was forever in black.

Marissa knocked on the door at the Roberts home. Summer appeared at the front door and smiled widely at the presence of her friend. Summer's long dark hair was plaited in a long braid, and was pinned to the back of her hair. She was gorgeous, but her fine features were somewhat hallowed out by the stress of her work, and she grew thinner by the day. Her big dark eyes were the only part of her not effected by the harsh work-hours, and even they looked dim today.

"You have been working harder than usual?" Marissa implored of her friend in a quiet voice. The two of them quietly walked up to Summer's tower.

"Mmm...but not because of...you know, anything to do with my dad's work. No, it's because I've been in his records trying to find out how to get you out of helping your mom with her plot." Said Summer. She looked at her friend, empathy in her gaze. Marissa shied from it.

"Ah...oh...her plot, yeah...I know, but...I can't see a way out of it. I'm just wondering, what it is she's doing." Marissa sighed.

"I don't know...I'm no seer. We need to find out who's involved." Summer muttered, to which Marissa nodded in agreement. "Has she hinted anything to you?" Summer asked Marissa softly. Marissa averted her eyes.

"I can't tell you Sum. I'm bound...to her." Marissa cried in disgust.

"But if..._I_ heard something, it would be ok?" Summer inquired of her friend.

"Um...yeah, I guess, but how would you ever hear anything." Marissa confusedly inquired.

"Your mom, Marissa...your mom has been here at night. They don't know I know." Summer whispered to her friend. Marissa gasped.

"I...I _knew _it. Our parents must be working together. But then why is my mom encouraging me to see you," Marissa wondered.

"Because, she thinks she's got it all figured out." Summer shrugged. "She just isn't as clever as she thought." Summer smirked. Marissa smirked too.

"Yeah...ok, so, let's say, hypothetically she is planning." Marissa cautiously muttered. She looked around the stair well they'd just entered.

"Look, Riss, it's no secret that your family used to rule Newport. They got thrown out by the Nichols ages ago. Your mom probably wants to regain power. And my family, well, there are some skeletons n the closet you could say. They used to be at the top of the pecking order, too." Said Summer. "My dad...must be helping. He has the largest library in all of Newport. It's a great resource." Summer added.

"Well, the largest one open to the public, anyway." Marissa murmured.

"That's it! Marissa, you are a genius!" Summer exclaimed.

"Wha...what?" Marissa asked. She wasn't sure what she'd say to earn that proclamation.

"Marissa, if we're going to outsmart our parents, we need something they don't have. The library in the castle!" Summer cried. Her voice echoed, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Marissa did a quick charm to stop the loud "castle..." that was reverberating against the walls.

"Yeah, only how do we get in there?" Marissa asked. Summer shrugged it off.

"Leave it to me. All I need from you is a broomstick and your ready and willing mind." Summer told Marissa, who nodded complacently.

Across town in another tower, two teenaged boys sat, oblivious of the intrigue and mystery surrounding their futures. Instead, they lay on the floor in boredom.

"This is the last time I let you plan our day." Seth whined as he and Ryan stared at the ceiling.

"It's better than wining and dining those stupid newpsies." Ryan replied as he shuddered at the thought.

"So true man. I just want to meet a girl who isn't a carbon copy of everyone else." Seth sighed.

"Ryan, Seth, you have some visitors!" Kirsten yelled through the door. Seth and Ryan contemplating pretending that they weren't in the room.

"Mom, no, please, make it stop, no more Newpsies." Seth protested.

"Newpsies, ew." One of the girls cried. That voice sounded very familiar to Seth for some reason. He smiled.

"Ok, we'll see them." Seth called as he opened the door. Ryan shot him a look like 'Are you crazy?!' In return, Seth shrugged.

Summer and Marissa walked into the room, and not one of the teens could eek out a single syllable.


	3. Love At First Conspiracy Theory?

**Love At First Conspiracy Theory?**

[AN: Thanks to everyone for all the reviews, thanks for reading, and please review if you can! Special thanks to Georgia for the term CoWood. Also, sorry Georgia, there is no shirtless Ryan in the chapter, but there will be in the coming ones, I promise.

"First of all, we are _not _newpsies." Summer smirked at Seth. He felt the breath catch in his throat.

"I...oh...what's your name, where do you live, and why have I not seen you before." Seth mumbled quickly. Summer rolled her eyes.

"Summer Roberts, a couple streets down, and you have seen me before, you just haven't _seen _me." Summer replied saucily. Even she was surprised by the sudden wave of confidence she was feeling.

"Seth Cohen, at your service." Seth grinned, revealing his dimples. She'd never seen him so up close before. There was instant chemistry between them.

"Good to know." Summer replied. Meanwhile, Ryan and Marissa were just staring at each other. The first words between them were none other than...

"Hey."

"Hey." Both blushed profusely.

"So, um, not that this impromptu visit is not awesome...but why are you guys here?" Seth asked of the two girls.

"Oh, um, right. Well, I'm Marissa Cooper, you've probably heard of me." Marissa muttered.

"Oh, yeah, you're Julie's daughter. She's hot." Seth grinned, and Summer walked over to him and smacked his arm.

"Shutup dumbass. That is so not the point." Summer snapped.

"Ha...someone finally schooled Seth..." Ryan murmured, causing Marissa to laugh a lot. And then, she stopped, remembering the real reason she was there. And her resolve faltered.

"My mom, she's a witch, and Summer's dad, he's a physician with a massive library at his finger-tips. We think they're plotting to overthrow your family." Marissa explained, pain apparent in her voice.

"_Your_ mom is the kingdom's resident witch?" Seth inquired, obviously in shock.

"Um, kind of...I mean the Coopers have been witches since...like the beginning of time. And the feud between the Cohens and the Coopers has been going on since...Newport's inception," Summer replied.

"Someone slept through all his history lessons," said Ryan, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"So, you knew I was a witch from the start?" Marissa asked Ryan. "Uh, yeah...I mean, the clothes are kind of a giveaway." Ryan told her. Marissa looked down self consciously at her long, gothic style black gown. It was gorgeous, and handmade, but it felt like a dark prison to Marissa.

"B-but it doesn't bother you?" Marissa implored of Ryan under her breath. He nodded and shrugged. Tears glistened in Marissa's eyes.

"Thanks for letting us know about this plot, but what are we supposed to do with this information?" Seth wondered aloud.

"Um, I was thinking, maybe in your hall of records there's something that can help us out." Summer shared. "But, I have to get back to work in...one hour," Summer added.

"Yeah, and my mom will start to wonder where I am too," said Marissa.

"Let's make the best of it then." Seth smiled widely as the four of them walked out of the tower and down the stairs, stopping at the first door.

"Here it is..." Ryan muttered as her reached around in his pocket for a key. Marissa gave Summer a look saying, 'Can you believe they trust me?' and Summer shot her one saying, 'Can you believe they trust _me?'_

The four teens walked into a room the size of two football fields, at least. Maybe more. Marissa and Summer's eyes took the form of saucers, while Seth and Ryan walked around the room unfazed, and chatted about getting some Pad Thai later. Apparently, it was a Cohen family delicacy.

"Where to begin?" Seth asked as he and Ryan smiled broadly at the two girls.

"How about...up there." Marissa suggested as she pointed to a high up shelf, labeled 'Prophecies'. There was a ladder propped up next to it.

"Oh, that's very high up...you might fall if you climb all the way up there." Ryan admonished Marissa. Marissa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms airily. "You'd better let me help you." Ryan smirked.

"Oh, I supposed I can allow that," Marissa replied, and added, "What did you have in mind?"

Ryan took Marissa's hand and placed his free hand on her lower back, and pushed her up the ladder gently, until they reached the top.

"I think I'll be fine by myself now." Marissa smiled as she turned her head slightly so that her mouth was inches from Ryan's ear.

"Ok then," Ryan replied, grinning and turning his head to kiss her cheek quickly, jumping from the top of the ladder and leaving a stunned Marissa at the top, lightly placing a hand on her cheek. She had been struck dumb, by a different kind of magic than she was accustomed to.

"So...you work for your dad," Seth stated in question for to Summer, who bobbed her head in response. She didn't seem to want to discuss it, so he didn't press on.

"Wow, you're good, you already found the encyclopedia volume, huh?" Ryan inquired of Summer, clearly impressed. Summer nodded in embarrassment.

"Uh...yeah...um...I just...I don't like to talk about it," Summer mumbled as she flipped through the pages, cheeks red. Seth and Ryan exchanged confused glances.

"Summer doesn't know who her mom is," Marissa offered, as though this should thoroughly explain the statement Summer had made. Still, the two boys did not understand. "Have either of you studied witches before?" Marissa asked the two boys.

"Um...briefly, a slight amount." Ryan told her.

"I think Ryan wants to study witches more now," Seth winked, grinning cheekily.

"Shutup Cohen!" Summer ordered, feeling a bit of her confidence returning. Still, she felt distinctly uncomfortable.

"Obviously not..." Marissa murmured to herself, and Summer shot her a look. Not one of anger, but one of fear. They exchanged significant looks. "Well, maybe you should read up on it then." Marissa suggested, in what she hoped was a discreet hinting tone.

"Yeah, you're right," Seth agreed, with a wave of his hand. He beckoned Summer to sit with him.

"Uh...there's no chair if you hadn't noticed, Cohen." Summer smirked, and Seth smirked back.

"You could just sit in my lap." Seth suggested, his brown eyes looking pleadingly into hers.

"Hmm...ok...but only because I want to read that book," Summer said as she sat down in his lap.

"Sure," Seth muttered sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"May I ask a question," said Marissa politely. She directed her gaze toward Seth and Ryan.

"How...I mean...I've heard...that you two aren't actually brothers." Marissa stated. The boys "Oh'ed" and shrugged.

"We are. It's just, Ryan's adopted." Seth said, shrugging it off. Ryan nodded.

"Oh, ok, that makes more sense." Summer mumbled.

"Doesn't it?" Seth said as he wrapped his arms around Summer's waist.

"Hey...what're you doing?" Summer cried as she wiggled in his arms.

"Holding you. Or trying to." Seth grinned at her.

"Thanks for the news-flash, but I meant _why_," Summer rolled her eyes. Ryan and Marissa walked to the other side of the library, figuring they should at least get some work done.

"Because you, Summer, are a beautiful girl who has just stumbled into my hear-life," Seth paused there to see Summer's reaction.

"Oh, I see. The rumors about you are true." Summer raised an eyebrow at Seth before continuing to peruse the book on the table.

"Which? There are so many these days," Seth muttered, turning his head from her evasively.

"Um, the ones about being a smooth talker, Cohen. What other rumors are there about you?" Summer asked Seth confusedly. Seth shrugged it off. Summer chose to let it be, for the time being.

"So, what's your deal?" Marissa inquired of Ryan, who merely gave her a look in return. "I mean...who are you, without the prince crap." Marissa clarified, and Ryan chortled softly.

"Whoever you want me to be...?" Ryan tried, but Marissa crossed her arms at him and rolled her eyes. "Ah...well, a kid...who has some anger issues, and a hero complex?" Ryan attempted once again. This explanation seemed satisfactory to her, and she nodded.

"Why are you telling me this," Marissa inquired of him as she picked up a book entitled The OC: Prominent Family Trees.

"Um, because you've asked me to," Ryan answered as he peered over Marissa's shoulder to see what she was looking at. She promptly slammed the book shut.

Marissa turned to face Ryan head on. "What I mean is...why do you trust me. I'm a _witch. _No one trusts me." Marissa explained.

"Summer does," Ryan countered.

"Well...you don't understand...Summer and I..." Marissa trailed off as she became wrapped up in her own thoughts. Ryan raised his eyebrows at her. "Um, you know, it's not important," said Marissa, who appeared to be becoming more flustered by the second. It took her no time to relax again, and she added, "All that matters is that you do trust me." Marissa grinned, and Ryan smiled in return and picked up another book, carefully avoiding the one Marissa had picked up before. When Ryan became engrosses in his book, Marissa picked up the one she had previously been examining. She waved a hand over it tentatively, and replaced the book on the shelf. She frowned. Then, she turned on her heel and grabbed Ryan's arm lightly.

"What is it?" He asked her concernedly.

"Oh...Summer's calling," Marissa explained.

"I didn't hear anything."

"That's strange..." This had happened before, but Ryan didn't have to know that.

"Ah, so, Marissa and Ryan have stopped flirting long enough to come over here," Seth smirked.

"Summer is sitting in your lap, Seth," An indignant Ryan replied.

"Point taken." said Seth in return.

"Why don't you two look this over, we've got to get going," Summer told the boys. They frowned deeply.

"When will we see you again?" Seth whined, his frown deepening by the moment.

"Um...I dunno, when ever we can slip away," Summer replied vaguely. Ryan took note.

"Well, Summer, if you'll do me the honor of coming to the stupid ball coming up..." Seth trailed off.

"I'd love to Cohen, but isn't that ball taking place so you can find a wife?" Summer asked, trying to avoid the fact that the conversation was treading on uncertain territories.

"I'm starting to think the original purpose of the ball has already been served by other events." Seth replied evasively.

"Ah...um, I guess...we could go together...if I can...um...free the evening, I have a busy schedule," said Summer, obviously choosing her words carefully.

"Ok, well, I hope to see you before then." Seth smiled, taking Summer's hand in his and kissing it gently. Marissa giggled at Seth's princely-charm thing he had going on.

"Oh...uh, Marissa...will you come with me?" Ryan asked hopefully, staring into Marissa's eyes with sincerity and warmth.

"I want to. I'll come, I'm just not sure they'll let me in." Marissa responded, looking embarrassed.

"They will," said Ryan firmly. The four of them stayed stark still for a few moments, gazing at their respective dates for the ball. Out of no where, Marissa and Summer vanished.

"Woah," Ryan muttered.

"Yeah, woah..." Seth murmured in response.


	4. The Truth, Please

**The Truth, Please**

[I DO NOT OWN THE OC, cuz if I did, this would've been the plot for a couple random dream sequence episodes! This is 5 days after the last one

Summer sighed as she clapped the thick book she was reading shut. She was sitting in a hidden room on the second floor of her dad's castle-esque laboratory-ish home. It was dark and unappreciated. Much like Summer. That was the Summer of yesterday, though. The Summer of today had met Seth Cohen and hung out with Ryan Atwood and finally escaped her duties with her friend Marissa Cooper. And she'd never wanted that afternoon to end. But now, Summer was locked into her small room which was bursting at the seems with books. She was trying to read about the psychic connection that seemed to exist between herself and Marissa. But her mind kept straying to a certain curly haired prince...

"Hey Sum!" Marissa exclaimed as she appeared in the center of the small room, landing on a stack of papers. Summer didn't seem to notice her presence. "Um...hey Sum!" Marissa repeated, grabbing Summer's shoulder.

"Oh...uh...hey..." Summer answered.

"So, my mom told me what she was planning, and it sounded totally not that bad at all," Marissa said. Summer nodded disinterestedly. This worried Marissa. "Seth." She said. Summer's head shot up. Marisa giggled.

"What about S-seth?" Summer stuttered, blushing profusely.

"Well, we thought my mom was gonna make an attempt on his life, but I don't think so anymore," Marissa explained.

"Oh, yeah, right, good. Excellent." Summer answered, smiling. She clapped her book shut and looked up at Marissa for the first time.

"Yeah, and I don't have any lessons till later, and our parents are doing a consult dinner thing," Marissa told Summer, much to Summer's horror, and she went on, "So I told Seth and Ryan we could hang out tonight."

Summer grinned. And then it dawned on her. "Oh my god, yes, yes, let's go get dressed or something."

"Sum, we totally can't, I mean, I look so crappy today," Marissa complained, tugging on her hair in annoyance.

"Um, no you don't, you always look...what's a better word for awesome?" Summer wondered.

"Fantasmo." Marissa offered.

"Right," Summer replied thoughtfully.

Back at the Cohen's castle, Seth and Ryan floated around in their pool. That was basically what they did every single day, besides their studies, which neither really cared for. Ryan, however, did enjoy history, while Seth preferred writing.

"What's up?" Seth asked Ryan, interrupting the silence that had been enveloping them. Seth squinted so that he could look at Ryan while he addressed him.

"Oh, we have some clothing fittings tomorrow I think..." Ryan trailed off.

"Frack," Seth groaned, turning on his side to look away from Ryan.

"Oh, and Summer and Marissa are coming over later," Ryan added casually.

"What?!" Seth exclaimed as he fell out of his pool chair with a large splash, causing Ryan to laugh his low, steady laugh.

"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that?" Ryan asked, feigning innocent ignorance. Seth, meanwhile, still had not resurfaced. Ryan began to grow a bit worried, as was his nature. Ryan leaned over to to see what was going on with Seth, who pulled on his brother's arm roughly, so that he fell in the pool too.

Both emerged laughing hysterically. "Dude, that was low," Ryan sputtered as he paddled toward the side of the pool.

"Right back at you," Seth replied as he shook his hair out like a dog.

"Hey guys!" Marissa said brightly as she walked over towards the boys, carrying towels in her arms.

"Wha...woah. Where the hell did you guys come from?" Seth asked, regarding Summer and Marissa with shifty eyes.

"What're you talking about Cohen? Didn't you know we were coming at 3:00 PM?" Summer inquired confusedly.

"No, no, I didn't actually," Seth answered, glaring with little intensity at Ryan.

"I forgot to tell him," Ryan lied smoothly with a shrug.

"Not a big deal." Summer said with a wave of her hand. Marissa giggled.

"Oh...yeah, sorry about the apparel..." Ryan trailed off.

"Or lack thereof." Summer muttered under her breath with a smirk for good measure. Marissa looked at the ground shyly.

"Oh, I'm sure Marissa here doesn't mind at all dear brother," said Seth as he rose from where he was sitting and took a towel out of red-faced Marissa's now limp arms.

"Cohen!" Summer cried after Seth as she chased him into the castle.

"Sorry about that, Seth can be..." Ryan started, but Marissa cut in.

"Mildly exasperating but really cool deep down."

"Yeah, exactly," Ryan grinned at Marissa.

"So, what do you want to do?" Marissa asked Ryan, adopting her shy air once again.

"Well, I have these lesson fittings, or clothing something or rather later on, but if you want we could you know, hang out," Ryan said. Marissa cocked an eyebrow. "Like...a date." Marissa grinned at Ryan's sentiment.

"Aw...Cohen, your hair looks...wow," Summer smirked at Seth. They were traversing the castle, at the moment they were walking through one of the dozen sitting rooms.

"That good huh?" Seth asked as he ran a hand through it, successfully making it look worse.

"Hello," said Queen Kirsten Cohen, addressing her son casually as she passed through. Then she noticed the girl with him, and narrowed her bright blue eyes. "Have we met?" Kirsten asked. Summer, who had previously been in a bit of a shock, struggled to regain composure.

"No, I believe not. I'm Summer Roberts; my dad is most likely your physician," Summer replied with an inclination of the head.

"Oh, he's a fine man. Well, I suppose I will see you later then Miss. Roberts." Kirsten replied in a calculated response. She walked slowly out of the room, wondering about how her son _ever _would've come across Summer _Roberts _of all people. If she'd gone outside to see her other son, she would've been met by another surprise. Both would've disturbed the Queen equally.

"That went well..." Summer mumbled.

"Ah, come on, it doesn't really matter what my mom thinks," Seth said. Summer looked at Seth with disbelief.

"Um, she's the Queen of Orange County, and she's your _mom_. Of course it matters Seth," Summer replied seriously.

"Hey, hey. I like you, and that's all that matters." Seth responded.

Summer shrugged, "Ok, sure..." Summer replied, plastering a fake smile to her face. She didn't believe Seth was right, but who was she to say anything? He'd get sick of her soon enough. She didn't even know why she was there.

"It just feels right..." Seth thought to himself as he looked at Summer out of the corner of his eye.

A couple hours later, Summer, Marissa, Seth, and Ryan were hanging out in...the pool house?

"What is this place, anyway," Marissa asked Ryan, laughing.

"Um, it's a pool house." Ryan replied, not sure what she was getting at.

"Duh, but why do you guys hang out in a pool-house? Isn't that like...too low brow for you rich people?" Summer asked.

"Yeah, might not wanna mention that we hang out here to our mom," Seth joked.

"No problem," Summer muttered uneasily.

"We should probably get going, cuz mom said she wanted to have dinner 'as a family' tonight," Ryan said.

"What? You never told me that. Oh no man," Seth groaned as he pulled at his hair, "This is totally an ambush."

"Yeah, oh, we should get going, we have stuff..." Marissa trailed off, not wanting a run-in with the parents.

"Uh, bye," Summer said awkwardly.

"Yeah, right," Seth trailed off.

"See you later?" Ryan inquired of Marissa.

"Right. Later. After your big family dinner...with your mom and dad who are...yeah," Marissa said as she grabbed Summer's arm quickly and vanished.

"That went well," Seth said as he dropped into a chair.

"The part where Summer met mom or the part where Marissa couldn't even look at me when she left?" Ryan asked Seth who just groaned in response.

"I think I really like..." Seth started, when his mom and dad walked through the door.

"Dinner time, boys," Kirsten said shortly as she walked out of the room again, Sandy in tow.

"Crap," Seth grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet. "Better go put on something formal," Seth muttered.

"Your definition of formal is..." Ryan began.

"A skinny black tie, jeans, and a dress shirt, yes," Seth answered as he got up and left.

At dinner, Seth, Ryan, Kirsten, and Sandy sat at a long white rectangular table, Kirsten at the head of it and Sandy at the other end. It was pretty much silent, for a while.

"So how was your day, boys?" Kirsten asked as she methodically chopped the string beans on her plait.

"Fine," Seth answered after a quick glance at Ryan.

"What did you do today?" She went on.

"Nothing," Ryan muttered. At that Kirsten raised her eyebrows.

"Summer Roberts was over here today, was she not?" Kirsten inquired as she began to grind her knife a little harder against the plate.

"Yeah." Seth said curtly. Sandy shot Seth a warning look.

"Well, there will be some girls coming over here later," Kirsten said casually.

"Why," Seth spat, "So you can sell our souls to some ditzy newpsies?" He jeered.

"We are just trying to find suitable matches for the two of you," Kirsten said calmly, as she began to make a crack in the plate.

"There'snothingwrongwithMarissa," Ryan said quickly.

"Will you repeat that dear?" Kirsten inquired slowly.

"There's nothing wrong with Marissa..." Ryan said.

"Marissa...Cooper? The both of them have gotten their claws into you already..." Kirsten muttered.

"'Gotten their claws into us,' what's _that _supposed to mean?" Seth asked in disbelief.

"Nothing," Sandy said as he and Kirsten got up and left.

"Will someone _please _give me a strait answer?" Seth inquired of no one as he slammed his head onto the table in exasperation. Ryan nodded in agreement.


	5. The Rose and Her Thorns

**The Rose and Her Thorns**

[AN: Set 7 days later. I do not own the OC, otherwise, Summer and Seth wouldn't have been all sibling-esque for chunks of season 3. Oh, and for the information of all: This chapter is so you can get some character development; kind of get where Seth and Summer are coming from. The next chapter will be completely focused on Ryan/Marissa, and there development, and I'm gonna work _really _hard on it. So enjoy this purely SS chapter, and RM fans, you'll be getting yours next chapter!

Summer walked down the beach early one Saturday morning. She was wearing a billowing blue dress that was being assaulted by the wind, along with the rest of her. It was cold, so cold. The sky was black, and not many of the buildings were lit up at this late hour, and so the stars shone bright in the night sky. The waves crashed down on the beach incessantly. It was beautiful, it was calm, and it was where Summer went all the time on her own, her dark hair let out of its torturous bun-prison for once. Her dad preferred it to be pinned up so it would be out of the way while they were working. Summer liked it down, where it ended around the small of her back. She sighed evenly and found a spot to lay down. It was here she did all her best thinking. Today she had a lot of that to do. There were so many things, so many people in the world, and yet, there was only one she could think of. She gazed at the moon, eyes transfixed, for a time, before she gave into the urge to shut them. She proceeded to roll onto her side. Not because she was tired, but because when she did, it was almost like he was with her. And when she grudgingly opened them, there he wasabout a mile down the beach, trudging listlessly in the sand. She could've left right then and hid, and a part of her wanted to, wanted to _hide_. The more audacious part of her kept her laying there in the sand. He saw her, she knew he did, and that was when it became too late to run. He kept ambling on, like he wanted to keep her waiting. 10 minutes later, he'd arrived at her patch of beach. She got up abruptly so she wouldn't be on the ground when he got there.

"Fancy meeting you here," He said to her, pushing some of her dark hair out of her face so he could see her dark brown eyes, which observed him quietly.

"Mmm," was Summer's only response as she broke their intense eye contact and stared out at the wide, sparkling ocean.

"Look, Summer, about my mom, really, I don't care what she thinks," Seth said, breaking the silence. Summer looked up at him, his face illuminated slightly by the glow of the moon. He looked a bit tired, and their was an undertone of sweet desperation in his voice.

"Cohen, what do you want from me, hmm? Am I just some girl who you want to talk to every once in a while? Do you want me to help you figure out the Cooper vendetta against the Cohens, or is it that you think I can help you stay unmarried?" Summer asked, her voice cracking towards the end. She wished it hadn't. It showed fear. She hated showing emotion. She refused to be vulnerable.

"No, god no, Summer...I just need you," Seth replied, with a lot of soul. He tried to take her hand. But Summer wouldn't let him, because the moment he did, it would be all over. And he would either win her heart and cherish it or break it. And she wasn't sure she was prepared for either. "I can see you, and I know who you are. Don't let that scare you," he went on, succeeding in taking her hand for the first time.

"...there's something about you. And I dunno what it is, okay? But I intend to find out," Summer said smiling slightly.

"Yeah? How soon?" Seth asked, pulling on her hand lightly as the two of them sat down.

"As soon as you want," Summer said, cocking an eyebrow, inviting him to a 'challenge' of sorts.

"Alright, I'm game," Seth grinned as he moved a bit closer to Summer. And she didn't stop him this time. He started to trace patterns in the sand with his left hand, slowly.

"So, why are you here?" Summer inquired of Seth quietly.

"Well, because I like to come out here at night and...well...if I told you, you could never tell anyone, not even Marissa," Seth said. "Ryan, well he knows, but there is probably only one thing Ryan doesn't know about me, and that I'm not even sure of yet, and he could probably guess it anyway," Seth continued.

"I promise," Summer stated, linking their ring fingers.

"A bit minty their with the whole finger linking thing, but I will not go on about it..." Seth smirked.

"Way to ruin a moment, Cohen," Summer whined.

"It's what I do, you'll just have to get used to it," Seth smiled.

"Hey honey, I guess this is a good time to tell you about my rage-blackouts then," Summer smirked. Seth's face 'fell.'

"Oh wow, what a deal breaker," said Seth sardonically. Summer raised her eyebrows. "No baby, I'm afraid you can't get rid of me that easily," Seth smirked back.

"Hey, Cohen, nice subject change, but you're not getting rid of me that easily," Summer said, and Seth feigned confusion. "Your secret..." Summer continued. Seth "Oh'd" in recognition.

"I'm here to draw," said Seth flatly. He gestured to the sketch pad that was resting on the ground next to him.

"You any good?" Summer asked. He shrugged and pulled a black pencil out from behind his ear.

"Look at the moon," Seth ordered, lazily pointing at the sky.

"Ok..." Summer mumbled as she followed his direction. He could see her face so clearly now. Seth drew for about five minutes until he had finished his sketch.

"Now you can judge for yourself." Seth told Summer as he leaned back onto the sand, stretching out his arms.

"Oh my god, Seth, this looks exactly like me. This is...this is just amazing," Sumer said, obviously astonished.

"Eh, it's not that good. It definitely doesn't do you justice; the real thing is much more beautiful," Seth said honestly as he stretched out.

"You know how hard it is not to kiss you right now?" Summer asked Seth, laughing as he quickly shot up, grinning goofily.

"Say what now?" Seth asked.

"I said, 'You know how hard it is not to kiss you right now?'" Summer laughed.

"I think the same things all the time," Seth mumbled nervously.

"Then why don't you?" Summer inquired in a low voice, moving towards him.

"W-why don't I k-kiss you?" Seth stuttered out.

"Yeah." Summer replied as she moved to hover over him.

"Because...well..." Seth said as he propped himself up on his elbows, so they were mere centimeters apart.

"Kiss me right now," Summer ordered, and so he nodded and kissed her slowly. He pulled her into his arms and rolled over so he was on top of her.

"Finally, Cohen, I was starting to wonder if you ever would," she muttered against his mouth. His response was to kiss her a bit harder.

Some days, things don't go as planned; not even close. Some days, they're 100x better than you ever could've hoped. This was just one of those days.


	6. The Fallen Angel and Her Lost Wings

**The Fallen Angel and Her Lost Wings**

[AN: Sorry it's taken so long, but I have a reason: This story is uncharted territory for me, and this is my first ever 100 percent RM chapter. I have the next one written, if that helps, and I am updating all my stories. Marissa's POV

I sat on the beach one night as the sun faded away. I found myself thinking back to the events of that day. The slithering wind and rolling waves tend to carry me away into a dream land. My hair slides onto the wall as I carelessly finger the buttons on my long black gown. I am alone, and I am not good. I never will be. A girl like me doesn't deserve happiness. But when I see Ryan, I start to wish ardently that this weren't true. And I want to be better. I start to try.

Sometimes I wonder why he wasn't named Hope. Well, sure I know why. Hope is a girl's name. But if it weren't...well, to me, he is the human incarnation of it.

"We're not so different, you and I," I say aloud to myself, though there is no one to listen to my simple but meticulously chosen words. There usually is not. My wistful being wants him to hear them.

"We're not," he asserts as he rounds the corner of my tower. I look at him through my eyes and he sees me. I know it. His eyes ask for permission to enter, and I stand up, regal as a Queen. Because I know he would want me to.

"We're not," I question, my diffidence on par with his confidence in his own phrase. He takes this is an invitation to come to rise to where I am standing, hunched over. He pushes my shoulders back, and I am forced to look at him. And I see him for what he is. He is a perfect man without a lady, and I realize that I am a lady without the perfect man.

"True," he says. Ryan doesn't believe in wasting words. He doesn't need to. I can see him. We're centimeters apart.

"I...I..." I mumbled, trying to reason with myself. "I can't do this," I murmur. "I won't let _you _either," I add in a moment of self confidence as I turn away, defiance and astonishment with myself flowing through my veins. I hide myself from him, ashamed.

"Do it again," he whispers softly. I don't respond, I am so mortified with myself. "Do it again," he commands me this time. There is a bitter disappointment in the air that he places there, he is expressing his displeasure.

"Do what," I inquire in a soft tone.

"Tell me what to do," he answers in a tone so gentle and full of pleading that I can't help but do as he says.

"Kiss me," I say. The shock is not there, it should be, I know it. I've always felt shock when commanding another. I am below all beings, I am below...

And he kisses me. I've never been kissed before. And then it's gone.

[AN: I am trying to give the reader a better understanding of their relationship, what attracts her to him an vice versa. Also, to give an idea of their characters and how they perceive one another. Please review, I know this wasn't very long, but it was my first real attempt at RM, so I need feed back.


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